Hearts at War

I Know What Fear Feels Like Now

“I need to talk to you,” I said, barely keeping my voice steady.

She blinked. “What’s wrong?”

“Did you ever file a police report?”

Her face froze.

Dead still.

I knew the answer before she said a word.

“Why would you ask that?” she finally whispered.

“Because someone just texted me,” I said. “Same number. They said I should ask you who deleted it.”

Silence.

Then, so soft I almost didn’t hear it: “It was real.”

I stepped inside without asking. “Tell me everything.”

Savannah closed the door behind us and leaned back against it like she needed support just to stay standing.

“It was after we broke up,” she said. “When I started talking about what happened between us. A friend of mine convinced me to go to campus security. I told them everything. Every message, every threat. I had screenshots. I wrote it all down.”

My mouth went dry. “And?”

“They took the report,” she said. “Said they’d look into it.”

“But?”

“The next day I got a call. From someone in student affairs. They said the report was ‘handled internally.’ And when I went to check… it was gone. Like I’d never filed it.”

“That’s not possible.”

“Oh, it’s possible,” she said bitterly. “Especially when your ex’s father is a major donor to the university.”

My jaw dropped. “Wait, what?”

“Briar’s dad is on the board,” she said. “Or he was. I’m not sure if he still is. But back then? He had pull.”

I sat down slowly on the edge of her couch, head spinning.

“You think he made it disappear?” I asked.

“I don’t think, Solene. I know. The screenshots, the complaint, even the draft in my email was wiped. Someone went in and cleaned it all. Campus IT said it was ‘a glitch.’ But that glitch just happened to target one file.”

My hands clenched in my lap.

“Why didn’t you tell me this sooner?”

“Because I didn’t think you’d believe me. You were still so deep in him… I figured it would only push you further away.”

“I’m not in him anymore.”

She sat down beside me.

“You believe me now?”

I nodded slowly. “Yeah. I do.”

“Good,” she said. “Because I’m not the only one. There are others. Girls he’s played with, lied to, controlled. But they’re too scared to talk.”

“Why are you not scared?”

“I am,” she said. “But fear and silence are not the same thing.”

When I got back to the car, Lyric was sitting with her head against the window. She turned as I slid into the seat.

“Well?” she asked.

“It’s worse than I thought,” I said. “His dad may have helped cover it up.”

Lyric let out a breath through her teeth. “Of course he did.”

“She said she’s not the only one.”

“She’s not,” Lyric said quietly. “I’ve heard rumors for months.”

I blinked. “You have?”

She nodded. “Girls from other departments. Most never dated him, but he made them uncomfortable. Subtle stuff. Manipulative. Passive-aggressive. Just enough to make them feel like they were imagining it.”

“Why didn’t anyone say anything?”

“Because Briar’s a golden boy. Smart. Polite. Always smiling. And his family has power. People like that don’t get exposed until it’s too late.”

My voice broke. “I was in love with him.”

“You didn’t know.”

“I should have.”

“No,” she said. “You should’ve been told.”

By the time I got home, the sun was rising.

I curled into bed without brushing my teeth, without changing my clothes, just clutching my phone to my chest and hoping I wouldn’t wake up to another message.

But I did.

At 9:01 a.m.

Unknown Number: You opened a door you can’t close. Stay quiet, Solene. Or the next one to get hurt won’t be me.

My breath caught.

And for the first time since this began…

I was afraid.

I used to think fear was loud.

Panic attacks. Screams. Shaking hands.

But now I know better.

Real fear is quiet.

It’s the silence after your phone buzzes with a message that chills you to the bone.

It’s the moment you sit on your bed staring at your screen, heart pounding, throat tight, and the thought hits you:

Someone is watching me.

I stared at the text again.

You opened a door you can’t close. Stay quiet, Solene. Or the next one to get hurt won’t be me.

Whoever it was, they didn’t just want me scared.

They wanted me silent.

I didn’t go to class.

I didn’t leave my room.

I didn’t even text Lyric.

All I did was sit there, curled under my blanket, my phone clutched to my chest like it was the only thing keeping me safe and connected and sane.

Then, around noon, there was a knock at the door.

I froze.

Three slow knocks.

I didn’t move.

Then,

“Solene, it’s me.”

Lyric.

I jumped up and yanked the door open.

Her face changed the second she saw me. “God, you look pale.”

“I… I got another message.”

She stepped inside, shutting the door behind her. “Show me.”

I handed her the phone.

Her eyes scanned the screen, her mouth tightening.

“Okay. This isn’t just some jealous ex or bored troll. This is someone trying to intimidate you.”

“Do you think it’s him?” I whispered. “Briar?”

She paused.

“I don’t want to accuse without proof,” she said carefully. “But if I had to guess…”

I felt the words before she even said them.

“I wouldn’t put it past him.”

I followed Lyric back to her place.

Neither of us said much.

She didn’t push me, and I didn’t collapse. We just existed next to each other, which was all I could handle.

That night, she ordered food I barely touched, turned on a movie I didn’t remember, and eventually pulled me under the covers without asking.

We laid there in the dark, her hand tracing circles on my back.

“Do you want to tell someone?” she asked softly.

“Like the police?”

She nodded.

“What would I say?” I whispered. “That I’m getting anonymous threats because I’m finally starting to believe my ex-boyfriend might be dangerous?”

“You’d say exactly that.”

I shook my head against the pillow. “What if it just makes it worse?”

“Then we’ll deal with it,” she said. “Together.”

That word made me want to cry.

Instead, I turned over and looked at her.

“Why are you still here?” I asked.

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve made everything so messy. And you… you’ve had every reason to walk away.”

Lyric’s eyes softened.

“I didn’t fall for the easy parts of you, Solene,” she whispered. “I fell for the storm.”

The next morning, I woke up to three texts.

Darcy: Hey, are you alive? Haven’t seen you in two days.

Briar: We need to talk. I heard a rumor and I think you’ve been lied to.

Unknown Number: You really want to play this game? You’ll lose.

My hands started to shake again.

Lyric took the phone from me and sat up in bed.

“Okay,” she said, voice steady. “Enough of this. We’re going to the campus security office.”

“They won’t do anything.”

“Maybe not,” she said. “But there will be a record. And right now, you need to start protecting yourself.”

The security office was in a basement that smelled like mold and authority.

The officer behind the desk didn’t look thrilled to see us.

“Can I help you?”

Lyric did the talking.

“We need to file a harassment report.”